1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for dispensing one or more medications to the nasal cavity.
2. The State of the Art
Respiratory ailments are frequently treated by topical medication which offers a rapid delivery of medication directly to the site of the problem. In contrast, oral or parental medication dosages require absorption and systemic distribution in order for a fraction of that medication to get to the desired site(s) and effect its therapeutic benefit. Because topical application is direct, smaller amounts of medication are generally required to achieve the same benefits as when the medication is given orally or parentally. Single canister inhalers, containing only one medication, are presently available for the treatment of obstructive lung disease. Multiple canister inhalers for the treatment of obstructive lung disorders are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,419, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Combined regimens of inhaled medication can be tailored to produce desired effects. It is often a desirable treatment regimen to combine one medication that provides immediate relief with a second dose of medication that produces long term (preventive) help.
Rhinitis is an inflammation of the nasal mucosal membrane. This inflammation is often accompanied by related symptoms, such as a runny, sore, or congested nose, and irritated eyes, depending upon the cause of the condition. Various types of therapies are available for applying a mist of medication through the nostrils to the nasal membranes. Typical therapeutic agents include adrenergically acting decongestants, anti-cholinergic agents, topical buffering compounds and lavaging solutions, "mast cell stabilizers," and corticosteroid anti-inflammatory agents.
There are some well-known drawbacks to the use of such medications when administered intranasally. For example, decongestant nasal sprays produce rebound nasal congestion and irritation. Patients desire immediate relief of their symptoms, whether caused by allergies or a "cold" (of viral and/or bacterial origin), and thus tend to favor the use of the most immediately and dramatically acting agent. However, in the search for immediate relief, overuse and failure to follow the prescribed or indicated pharmacological regime results in aggravation of the condition with rebound nasal congestion and irritation. Physicians are now tending to prescribe anti-inflammatory medications (e.g., corticosteroids) due to the recognition of the inflammatory nature of rhinitis and similar conditions. However, such medications are relatively much slower acting, and so patients tend to rely on immediately acting agents, a plethora of which are available in over-the-counter formulations. When patients fail to comply with the anti-inflammatory or prophylactic portion of their regime, they usually suffer the side effects of their improper use of these immediately acting agents.
Yet another problem with treating rhinitis and related or accompanying conditions is that patients are often required to have a multitude of inhalers and nasal applicators ready for use. Usually, each of these medications requires a different dosing regime. To compound problems, these differnt medications will often be provided in similar or identically appearing delivery devices; users often get confused as to which inhaler "is which." Such users also have to cope with a variety of mechanical configurations and operating techniques differing among the various devices, and thus are prone to errors in following their dosage regime. Therefore, users of multiple medications are faced, on the one hand, with a number of devices with similar or identical appearance but for different treatment purposes, or with a number of different types of devices having differing delivery techniques and again with different treatment purposes. Users of multiple individual delivery devices frequency make errors in the sequence in which these devices are used (i.e., in which the medicaments are taken); in some therapies, more than one medication is best administered in a particular sequence to provide the most benefit to the patient. In view of all of these difficulties, it is easy to see that patients often suffer needlessly merely due to the complexity of the organization and administration of their medication.